Within every woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing.
She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women. But she is an endangered species. – Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I am late to the game in discovering Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. Apparently everyone else in the world has already read this book, but I guess this was as good a time as any for it to enter my life.

I did not actually read this book, I downloaded it as an audiobook because I was drawn Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ voice. In all of her book she recounts fairy tales and legends as a way to illustrate theories of psychology. If you have never listened to her tell a story please download one of her short stories, you will be hooked.

In Women Who Run With the Wolves Dr. Pinkola Estes tells many stories that revolve around women fighting against forces that threaten to cage them in and domestic them. Some of the stories reverberated deeply inside of me, and some of them I just couldn’t connect with. I think no matter where you are in life, there is something of value in this book for you. Even if you are not interested in her theories of psychology (she is a Jungian psychoanalyst) just listening to her tell her stories is entertaining and relaxing. One of my favorite stories in this book is the first one she tells. It is the story of La Loba, the bone collector. I could try to retell it here, but I don’t think I will do it justice, it is a really good story.

I don’t want to say too much about this book because I think part of its magic is in hearing the stories for yourself, but if you are a woman who is feeling caged in, or uninspired, this book may be the thing to revitalize you.